‘Indiana Jones’ Movies in Order and How to Watch Them
Get ready to go on an adventure with Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones Jr., the fictional character created by filmmaker George Lucas and portrayed by actor Harrison Ford on the big screen.
Debuting in the 1980s, the Indiana Jones movies inspired many — ourselves included — to take an interest in archaeology thanks to Jones’ job as an archaeology professor who goes on action-packed adventures when he’s not in the classroom. Ahead, find out more about the iconic movies directed by Steven Spielberg and how to watch the each film in the franchise.
1. ‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’
Kicking off the franchise in 1981, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark introduced Ford as the knowledgable college professor Indiana Jones, often called “Indy,” living in 1936 America who got whisked away from academia courtesy of the U.S. government. His mission? Locate the Ark of the Covenant before Adolf Hitler and his Nazi soldiers could retrieve it to further their plan of world domination.
With his now-iconic whip, Ford’s character successfully completed his mission and laid the groundwork for future movies thanks to a successful opening weekend at the box office that led to Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark earning $212 million in domestic sales, according to Box Office Mojo.
Netflix users, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is available on the streaming service. Unfortunately, the first installment in the Indiana Jones franchise isn’t streaming on Hulu although it is available to rent ($3.99) or buy ($16.99) on Amazon Prime Video. Audiences gave the film a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes while critics gave it a 95%. It sounds like a win for Lucas, Spielberg, and Ford.
2. ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple Of Doom’
Three years after Ford first donned Indiana Jones’ hat and whip, he reprised the role in Indiana Jones and the Temple Of Doom. Premiering in 1984, the sequel followed Indy on yet another adventure — set before the events in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark — where he traveled to India to track down a sacred stone only to discover a secret cult.
Received well by audiences and critics, Indiana Jones and the Temple Of Doom didn’t perform quite as well as the original. At the box office, the sequel earned $179 million domestically, according to Box Office Mojo. And the film’s scores on Rotten Tomatoes dipped slightly earning 81% from audiences and 85% from critics.
Stream Indiana Jones and the Temple Of Doom on Netflix or rent it on Amazon Prime Video for $3.99.
3. ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’
Premiering in 1989, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade gave viewers a glimpse at young Indy (River Phoenix) demonstrating how the future archeologist developed a lifelong fear of snakes and a taste for adventure. Sean Connery joined the cast as Indy’s father, Dr. Henry Jones Sr., who went missing while searching for the Holy Grail. Indy is tasked with tracking down his father and the religious artifact.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade received a score of 88% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes while audiences awarded the film a score of 94%. Grossing $197 million in domestic ticket sales according to Box Office Mojo, the third installment performed better than the sequel but didn’t topple numbers set by the original.
Watch Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade on Netflix for free with a subscription. Rent it on Amazon Prime Video for $3.99 or buy it for $16.99.
4. ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’
Nearly 20 years later, Ford revisited his iconic character in 2008 with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett joined the cast as Indy headed to Peru in search of the Crystal Skull of Akator.
Making $317 million domestically, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull performed well at the box office but fell flat with viewers and critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has the lowest scores of all the movies in the franchise; 78% Tomatometer and 54% audience score.
Watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on Netflix. Visit Amazon Prime Video to rent or buy the film.
Ford is set to reprise his iconic role in an unnamed Indiana Jones project set to be released in 2021. Get more details on the yet-to-be-named fifth film and learn what suggestions we have to keep it from being a disaster aka another Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
